Fantum Lentis
by MewStar0013
Summary: Fem!Yu Narukami. Failing to cease the fog of Izanami, Yu must take charge and start his journey in a different turning point. As his wild card takes a new path, so will those he had ties with. Even in the falls of failing, fate still has a chance to be reshuffled. As the new door opens and welcomes it's newest guest, there is still hope for a bright future without fog. R and R.
1. Chapter 1

_**Fantum Lentis**_

_**Interesting facts about this new fic. Firstly, it's the first Persona fic I've written that is not a SYOC story. Secondly, I got this idea immediately after I played what could have been the fifth or six time I got the True Cycle of the game. Believe me, I'm pretty excited about this one. The idea of seeing how the whole story will turn with everyone's roles switched will be interesting. I look forward to giving all of you this story. Also, this fic is to get me back on my feet since I haven't written anything since school started and I need to get my creativity flowing again.**_

_**Now, to let you in on before; Yes, people will be switching roles. Meaning, lifestyles and fates will be changed for every character, including Yu's. The whole plot you knew of Persona 4 Golden will change dramatically. And in the end, this will truly decided whether Yu and the "new" investigation team can solve the mystery of the fog of ignorance.**_

_**Ha, I went weird there for a second XD Well, anyway, here's a quick summary for ya all!**_

_**Summary: Fem!Yu Narukami. Even in the falls of failing, fate still has a chance to be reshuffled. Failing to cease the fog of Izanami, Yu must take charge and start his journey in a different turning point. Yosuke suddenly becomes elusive and cut-off from the world. Chie is now head of an all-girls kung-fu syndicate. Yukiko's fans are more than just deadly accessories. Kanji's face is seen everywhere on television, but for good reasons! Rise is now Inaba's hip and happening information booker. And Naoto wishes to escape to the busy world of mystery. Life as Yu had knew it would be has been changed, and it's up to her and the "new" investigation team to discover the case behind the murderous Midnight Channel. **_

_**This is . . . Just exciting for me! :3 Well, I hope you'll all like it!**_

_**Discalimer: **__Persona 4: The Golden __**is**_ _**under all rights of Shin Megami Tensei/Atlas/Sega.**_

* * *

_**Prologue- Ab Initio**_

_Farther and farther he fell._

_He couldn't tell how far or how long he had fell. His eyes were closed, and he could barely feel anything. Yet something was brushing his face and his hair was flying against him. His ribs were caging around his heart and his limbs were struck numbly at his sides. His skin was cold and feverish at the same time, and his mind was barely gaining focus. The worst of all, the voices of those he bonded with over the last year, everyone dear and precious to him- his friends, family, individuals of Inuba- they were slipping away from him. They were slipping from his subconscious and every one of his memories with them was fading from his mind. Their voices, faces, and names were sinking deeper and deeper into a fog of ignorance._

_It was like he was dying. No, it was __**worse **__than dying._

_The investigation team failed. Everything he and the others had so desperately tried to accomplish, had fallen from their grasp. Now there was nothing else to do, but to sink into Izanami's wishes and fall into oblivion._

_His back suddenly hit paved ground heavily. With a groan, Yu rolled to his side and wheezed, lungs filling with much needed air and head spinning in vertigo. For a few second, he laid there, waiting for the dull throb in his head to stop and for blood to run into his sleeping arms and legs once more. Finally, he opened his eyes, wincing as the fog around him irritated his eyes. He shut them again and did nothing. That was all he could._

_He had nothing else to do. There was nothing else to save and nothing to come back for._

_Something vibrated under his fingertips. He opened his eyes again and peered through the thick fog, eyes widening as a sleek and black limousine came driving near him. With the strength he barely gained, he rolled to the edge of the road just as the limo drove by. The ride had stopped and the rear door before him was thrown open. Yu looked up and met Marie's brooding blue eyes, filled with rage and disappointment._

"_Get in, stupid." She ordered, stepping aside to give him room. Pushing himself from the ground, Yu staggered to his feet and walked into the car, huffing as he took a seat across from Igor, Margret, and Marie._

"_Welcome, to Velvet Room." Igor greeted roundly, smiling ever-so eerily. Strange, it was. The owner of the Fool Arcana though the old man would have been disappointed. Though, for how long Yu had known him, Igor could not wield such an emotion._

"_I . . ." Yu hung his head. "I'm sorry . . ." He whispered brokenly._

"_And what are you sorry for?" Asked Margret charmingly. Trying to speak, Yu made a noise in his throat. She spoke so softly, as if he did nothing wrong. How could she be so composed?_

"_I couldn't defeat Izanami," He whispered, clenching his fists. "Every attack, every spell and weapon. Even the Myriad of Truths!" He cursed, shaking his head, shoulders shaking. "I don't get it. None of it worked. And now it's all over." Something prickled at his eyes and he sucked in a breath, a tear ripping a seam through his heart. "I let everyone down. I failed."_

"_You really are a moron, huh?" He looked up, watching Marie lean back in her seat with a curled lip. "Don't go bawling your eyes out yet, you twerp. It's not over yet." She confirmed harshly. Yu rubbed his eyes and blinked._

"_Marie, what do you-"_

"_Just ask the Nose, doofus." Grunted the forth guest, closing her eyes and crossing her arms, having nothing more to say._

"_Marie is right," Yu turned his gaze to Margret. "My Master has prepared a secondary plan, should you have failed at the climax of your journey."_

"_So the cards have foretold," Igor agreed, revealing the deck of velvet cards he used on the first night of Yu's journey. "Though the Myriad of Truths was unable to defeat the true composer of the calamity of your world, it would seem that the cards have made a, shall we say, reshuffle in the fates of your journey. As it would seem, the strength held within your Wild Card ability has altered the sea of souls."_

"_Reshuffled?" Yu asked._

"_You may say that you are given another chance." Margret explained._

"_A-Another chance?" The silver-haired boy's breath hitched. "I can still stop Izanami? I can still save my friends and everyone?" He was elated beyond all comprehension, so glad that he was given a second chance._

"_Hold on," Marie held up a hand. "It's not like a free-be or anything. There's a catch to this."_

"_Indeed," Margaret nodded in agreement. "As fate has been reshuffled, yours has been as well." At Yu's confused look, she smiled mysteriously. "As the sea of souls has been altered, so will the life you know. Everything you know and are up until this point will be changed. Your life, and many others, will be switched, in order to follow the shift of fates."_

"_In a year's worth of time, a great calamity will once again befall upon your world. And it will be up to you to stop it." Explained Igor. "What has happened so far will be forgotten. Every Social Link you had made will fade away and the life you once knew will be washed from your mind. Whether or not you will recall your past life will be determined by the strength of heart."_

"_You're saying . . . I won't remember any of this." Yu concluded, the harsh reality sinking in._

"_This life and every event that has happened will have never existed." Said Margret. "You simply cannot remember a life that never existed."_

"_You can think of it as reincarnation." Marie added. Yu looked up at her._

"_That means I won't remember you."_

"_Hey, it's gonna be alright, idiot," Marie forced a half smile on her face. "I'll still be there, somehow. Just reborn or something." She sighed and folded her hands, leaning forward. "Look, it's not like you're never going to see your old pals ever again. You will, you just won't remember them."_

"_But I want to remember them." Yu countered._

"_It is for the best," Margret cued in. "Though your fates may be changed, the bonds you have made will follow the same path. You will meet again, no matter what new life you shall take."_

"_Shall I begin?" Asked Igor with a grin, his spider-like finger's fluttering as if there were a piano before him. "I shall place you in a state of unconscious whilst the cards shall take charge and escort you into your new life. You will be taken within the very recesses of the sea of souls, and into your new life." He said. Yu looked back at the two other inhibitors of the Velvet Room. Margret smiled and placed her hand on her chest, bowing, while Marie flicked her wrist in a way._

"_See you later." She said. Yu nodded in return, unable to speak. Settling with his final choice, his __**only **__choice, he nodded at Igor and sat back in his seat. Igor raised his hands like a conductor, bony fingers sparking with a purple vapor, before it washed over the Fool. Yu felt his eyes lids grow heavy and his stomach suddenly dropped. As the corners of his eyes began to darken, he could faintly hear Igor say something._

"_You have truly been a remarkable guest . . . Let's see what kind of guest you shall be in the next lifetime. . ."_

* * *

_Someone was screaming for help._

"_D-Don't-! Please, stop!"_

_Heavy breathing and an angry voice was shouting._

"_Get back here, you piece of shit!"_

_Running footsteps. Static ringing out. Another shout._

"_N-No! Please, I beg of you- NOOOOOO!"_

_Shards of glass were shattered, split by a blood-curdling crash._

* * *

"_Yu!_

"_Yu-kun!"_

"_Sensei!"_

"_Partner!"_

"_Narukami!"_

* * *

The girl woke with a start at the sound of a train whistled. Her eyes blinded from the sudden sunlight that poured from the train windows. Looking up, she stared back at the girl that looked right back at her. A roundish face with high-cheek bones, slate-grey eyes that bore an apathetic sheen, and long, silvery hair curled over her shoulder, curling bangs fringed at her forehead, she blinked, and the girl blinked back.

'_Right,' _The girl realized, leaning back as the girl did the same. _'That's my reflection.'_

Her cell phone suddenly vibrated and that nearly made her jump, too. Shaking off her anxiousness, she pulled out her phone and scrolled into the text she got.

_From: Tohru Adachi_

_Sent: 11:07 AM_

_Hey! We're waiting for you at Yasoinuba station. I doubt you'll miss us! See you in a few!_

She shut her phone close and pocketed it, staring back at the window. What was once a jungle of skyscrapers and packs of cars speeding along freeways were now replaced with open fields of flooded rice and grass as tall as people, the clear-blue sky breath taking. Yet the girl was not awed or impressed as she looked at this totally different world. Nothing new could move or sway her. Not since the divorce.

'_It just happened so suddenly,' _She though, the hold she had on the hem of her pleaded skirt tightening. _'Just like when mom and dad had to go sort out more of it and decided to leave me with . . . My uncle and cousin, right?' _Her memory tried to reel back to the conversation she had with her parents, but all of it was a blur. She could barely fathom what had happened weeks before, let alone what happened only a week earlier. She drew to a blank.

"_Taste the sky! Feel the sun! Act like there's no tomorrow!" _She switched her gaze to the in-ride television, a boy younger than her dressed in a black wife beater and dark grey shorts. His short black hair was slicked back despite the layer of sweat on his forehead and his blue-grey eyes bright. In the commercial, he leaned over to a surf shack and cracked open a soda drink, gulping down the continents before sighing in satisfaction and thrusting the drink at the camera. _"Enjoy the world in the palm of your hand! Take it from me and just go with it!" _He shouted as the brand of the soda swiped over with a catchy tune.

". . . He would look cooler of his had pierced ears and eyebrows." The girl said to herself. The train whistled again and suddenly stopped. Taking that as the signal to get off, the girl stood and grabbed her duffle bag and wheeled-luggage from above, sighing before walking off the train.

She took a big gulp of the country air and exhaled, shivering at the new feeling. A warmth suddenly stirred in her heart. It almost felt like nostalgia, as if she had seen this place from before. Was it because of the country air, or from the dizziness from her ride?

"Hey! Over here!" She blinked and looked around the empty lot, surprised to see two people only there. Amongst the empty place, they stood out.

The man that called out to her had uneven and messy black hair, mousey-brown eyes twinkling as she walked over to him and the other person. He was dressed in a black suit with a crocked red tie. He looked a little sloppy, but the girl could tell that the goofy grin on his face meant he was harmless.

"Man, bro wasn't kidding when he said you grew up. Look at you; you're a woman now." The man smiled. The girl tried to do the same, but the look on her face could only match a grimace.

"I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Hey, it's OK," The man waved his hand with chuckle. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby, so it's cool that you don't remember me. Anyway, I'm Tohru Adachi, your dad's older brother." He took the girl's hand and shook it, despite the stiffness of it, before he stepped to the side to the person behind him. "And this is your cousin-"

"HIYA!" A bouncing ball of energy was at the silver-haired girl's toes, bright blue eyes in blissful innocents. "I'm Teddie! Well, I actually named Theodore, but dad calls me Teddie! When I heard you were coming to live with us, I was really excited 'cause that means I'd have someone to read comics with and eat candy at night and go to the pub in the Shopping District to score some ladies and-"

"Teddie, Teddie," Adachi intervened, blocking the jumping blonde from the bewilder girl, lest that the boy would accidentally step on her toes. "She just got here and you're already mobbing her. Give her some time to adjust."

"Oh!" Flushing with another toothy smile, Teddie nodded, taking a jump back and giving the girl a chance to look at him. His blue eyes were complimented with his wispy blonde hair and his red cheeks bought out his pale skin. Unlike Adachi, he wore spiffier-looking clothing, as if he were going to dinner with the ambassador of Japan. She looked between father and son. They were related?

"Well, we should get going. Oh, here, allow me," Adachi helped her remove her duffle bag and slid it over his own shoulder. "You must've been carrying this stuff the whole time, right? That's not right for a lady like yourself. Teddie, you mind helping, too?"

Teddie beamed. "Anything for a lady!" He chirped, taking the girl's wheeled-luggage before she could protest. "C'mon, cousin, we have to get going so we can give you the proper welcome!"

The girl nodded but still didn't move from her spot. Even with the weight of her luggage lifted from her, something felt off. And at that moment, something knocked her down.

And brooding blue eyes looked down at her, before a sigh was heard, and a hand was offered.

". . . Sorry." Said the boy, helping her up when she took her hand and then holding out something to here. "This fell out of your pocket." Said the boy. The girl took it- a note she scribbled down to remember her uncle's address- and bowed her head.

"Thank you."

"All I did was pick it up," Replied the boy, pushing back one of the strands of his black-blue hair and looking to the side. Whatever else he had to say, he pushed it aside and walked away, arms crossed on his chest.

"Yuina?" Adachi called, his head sticking out of a shabby-looking station wagon. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, uncle," Replied his niece, walking over and stepping into the car, closing the door and buckling her seatbelt, lying back on the leather that smelt of vegetables. Well, this was the country-side.

"You ready, Yuina?" Asked Adachi as he started the car. "I know it's going to take some time with the divorce and transfer and all, but keep in mind that you'll be going to school here, too. Make sure to make a lot of friends and do well in your studies."

His niece nodded, looking outside as the countryside blurred from the moving vehicle.

"I will, uncle. But please, call me Yui. I just . . . Like that name more."

* * *

The car stopped in front of a gas station once the car was running low and when Teddie began to wiggle in his seat, whining that nature was calling. From Yui's point-of-view, the little away town that made up the shopping district was quaint. With the attractions of corner stores and the local shrine, Inuba was the definition of rural. It was as simplistic as could be. Not that she minded. Maybe she could fall asleep to cicadas and light rain better than car honks and bickering apartment neighbors.

She had stepped out for fresh air and was greeted by one of the workers. They shook hands and had a light conversation, the young man offering her a job while she stayed around. Whether it was a real offer or the man was hitting on her, Yui accepted and was off with Adachi and Teddie again, patting herself on the back for making what could be her first friend in Inuba. However, the headache that struck her afterwards was not pleasant. It could've been from train-lag or the new environment, but she still didn't like it.

And just like that, the family of three stood in two-story cottage just a stone' throw-away from the North Shopping District. Nothing big and nothing small, it looked perfect for a family of two with a guest. As soon as Yui's luggage was moved to a spare room, she and her relatives sat by the small kitchen island, digging into store-bought sushi ("Sorry. This is what we usually get for dinner," Said Adachi, looking mournfully at the boxes of take-out and few places of the conjoint kitchen and living room. "Since it's just Teddie and I, we never got around to cooking or cleaning much.") Half-way through dinner, Adachi was called away suddenly and left in all but a flash.

"Dad works with the Inuba Police force," Teddie explained as he and his cousin threw-away the empty containers and used chop-sticks. "He's working with one of the higher-ups right now so he's been busy a lot." Teddie caught onto his flat tone, so he pitched a little with a forced smile. "B-But that means I can do what I want most of the time! C'mon, we can watch a movie right now, if you want! With hot chocolate!"

As pleasing as the idea sounded, Yui shook her head with a polite smile. "I think I'll just tuck in early, actually. I'm pretty tired." Her head throbbed for a second and she willed herself not to show it. Even crestfallen, Teddie gave her a smile and cheery, "Goodnight!" and scrambled to the old couch in the living room, to find a movie for himself to watch most likely.

Once in her small and temporary room, Yui walked over to the first box she saw and slit the seal of tape with a pair of scissors opening the contents and stilling, staring at a black blazer she hadn't worn in a month. She frowned, a flow of memories reeling back to a few weeks back.

* * *

"_You've probably heard by now but, Narukami will soon be transferring schools."_

_As to be expected, an uproar was stirred in the class, voices heard and faces unseen as Yui eyed the white-tiled floor._

"_Due to recent family problems and circumstances, she'll be transferring for a year. Please keep in mind. . ."_

* * *

"_Yuina," As much as she detested the name, Yui nodded as her mother talked, brushing her hair. It was a common habit her mother did when she felt her daughter was sad. "Honey, I know you probably feel this is unfair, but please, remember that none of this is your fault. Your father and I . . .Well . . ."_

"_We still love each other, but not in a sense were we can live together," Supplied her father, a few feet away and lounging in his favorite recliner. What was once a safe place, a comfy spot on her father's lap when she was little, seemed so far away now. "We think that this is for the best, and until we can settle things, we need you to stay with your uncle for the year." His face held a smile, even though the silver-haired girl couldn't see it. "You'll love it. Away from all this . . . Drama. Think of it as a vacation."_

" _. . . Alright." Her eyes drowsily fell behind silver and curly curtains, her heart tightening in her chest._

* * *

"And so you send me here," She sighed to herself, closing the box and taking a seat by the small couch of her room, curling her feet to her chest and resting her chin there. "Vacation. . . More like isolation . . ." The emotions she wanted to release and shout at the world were simmering down by sleep and the light pitter-patter of rain outside her window. Yui yawned, closing her eyes and sighing as her mind began to drift.

* * *

". . ."

"_**Do YoU wIsH tO lEaRn ThE tRuTh?"**_

_Gasping, Yui opened her eyes, all senses drugged and slow as a silhouette stood before her, a fog as thick and dense as the confusion she held hiding the identity of her visitor._

"_Is this . . . A dream?"_

_**ThEn TrY yOrU bEsT tO cAtCh It . . ." **__The figure floated away, it's back turned to the dreamer as it seemed to vanish from existence. No matter how hard Yui tried to reach or how strength she could bring herself to do so, the figure was gone and she soon dropped back into a dreamless sleep._

* * *

The following morning was greeted with a quick breakfast of warm pastries by the Shopping District and a busy Adachi leaving for work. Teddie, seeing that his cousin looked a little drained, escorted her a block away from her new school, waving off to her as he went in the other direction to the small school house he went to ("I have to go there before I can go to your school. I was held back a year so I need to pick up on some things over there." He informed with a smile.) Trekking up the pass, Yui noted the avid conversation passing between a redhead and a brunette.

"Chie-senpai, I swear! His family's home is around here-"

"Rise-chan, that's exciting and all but-"

'_Better not get involved.' _Yui thought, passing the two girls and bumping into a shorter student's back. "Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized.

"It's alright," The other girl whispered, blue hair pushed back in a way that made her look more of a boy. "Well . . . Goodbye." Said the shorter girl, hurriedly making her way into school. Yui stopped right there, the small incident washed away as she met the sight of her new high school. Gone with the stiff black blazers to uniform jackets and ties, Yui felt an easy air flow into her. New schools were scary but this one seemed alright.

* * *

"Now, now, class. Settle down," Purred Yui's home room teacher, a sultry look ruined by her over-dosage of make-up and show of cleavage, leaving nothing to the imagination. Judging by the silence, Yui couldn't tell if it was caused by her presence, or her teacher's act of failing seductiveness. "As you all know, we have a new transfer student here from the city. And sin't she a pretty little thing? Boys, please be easy on here. Girls, don't be jealous of her flawless skin, even if it's the best in this school, second only to mine."

A few silent groans later, Yui wrote her name on the chalk board and tilted her head one way. "Nice to meet you all. I'm… Yui Narukami. I . . ." She thought up her next words, short and sweet. "I hope we can all get along."

"Good . . . Now go sit down." It wasn't a suggestion. More like a command hiding behind a false smile. Yui took the first seat she saw, stuck in a sort of square between the two people who were conversing near the street and the quiet girl she had ran into. The two girls were at it again, speaking quietly.

"So the new girl-"

"I don't know much yet-"

"Will you-"

"I'll see what I can dig up about her-"

Yui raised a brow. Why were they talking about her as if she were some sort of race horse? Shaking her head at the gossip, she noticed that the quiet girl was nosing herself with a book, looking at the words intently. See that there was no one to talk to, Yui turned her head to the nearby window and sighed, narrowing her eyes as a thick vapor shrouded the windows.

'_What? . . . When did it become foggy?'_

* * *

"_Attention all students," _The new transfer almost jumped from her seat when the intercom blared on, looking around and wondering how class time had went by so fast. _"There has been an incident on campus. Please remain calm and-"_ Yui stopped listening half-way, knowing that this was the right time to go home and the droning voice was dull enough to make her fall asleep.

"Hey, hold on a sec," The redhead from before waved over to her, pigtails bouncing and brown eyes filled with stars. "You want to walk together? They were going on about the incident and it would be better to walk into groups, right?"

" . . . Right." Yui agreed after thinking. That conversation the brunette and the girl before her was still creeping in her mind. She warned herself to be careful.

"Cool. Oh my, gosh! I forgot to introduce myself! How silly of me!" The redhead giggled. "My name's Rise Kujikawa, Inuba's one and upmost information booker!"

"More like gossiper," Sighed the brunette walking over to them, her pockets stuffed by her hands. "Rise's information collecting revolves around fashion and the latest hook-ups and break-ups, so it's not all that useful."

"Is so!" Sticking her tongue out playfully, Rise gestured to the girl next to her. "This is Chie Satonaka, the leader of our own local, all-girls fighting syndicate."

"Please, Rise-chan, don't put it like that," Chie sighed, making a face. "It's just me and a few other girls helping out."

"With your feet and kicking out someone's teeth, though."

"Whatever," Rolling her mocha-brown eyes, Chie nodded at Yui. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Rise's right, we should all walk home together. Whatever incident is happening, it's safe to travel in a pack, right?"

"I guess so." Yui replied, still trying to comprehend the whole thing.

"Hey, Naoto-kun, want to walk with us, too?" The quiet girl Yui met couldn't walk away quick enough, not with Rise's face smiling down upon her. Naoto shook her head and bowed.

"That's considerate of you, but I would like to walk home alone. Thank you." She walked out as fast as her answer went.

"She doesn't like crowds much, huh?" Asked Rise as the current trio walked out of class and down the embankment, chatting and soon bringing Yui to cough up why she transferred all of a sudden.

"Divorcing parents, huh?" Chie looked sympathetic. "Sounds hard."

"Must be when your parents send you to live here, smacked in the middle of nowhere." Sighed Rise. "No worries, Yui-chan, Chie and I will be right here to help escape the boredom that haunts our little town."

Yui spared a smile; maybe she had made some new friends in this town and the experience wouldn't be so bad. "Thank you." The clear shriek of a police siren cracked her ear drum, she and the others wincing as three police cars raced pass them.

"What was that all about?" Asked Chie.

"Looks like they're parking around the corner," Rise was already bounding away to the scene. "Come on! Let's go check it out!"

"Her and gossip. . ." Rolling her eyes, Chie and Yui nonetheless followed Rise to the scene, the police cars gathered with an ambulance and police men crouching on the roof top. Yui barely had a second to dodge as her uncle almost ran into her, Chie pulling her away just as Adachi emptied out his breakfast onto the street.

"Adachi, how long are you going to be acting like a rookie?!" An older man braked her uncle's way, looking like one of those irritated cops Yui saw late-night shows in the city. "Want me to put you back on desk work?!"

Bristled that the man was bullying her uncle, Yui didn't waist a second to walk over to the man, tapping on his shoulder to get his attention. "Forgive me, officer, but I would like to advise that you shouldn't talk to my uncle that way." She said firmly. "Not only is it disrespectful but it is your responsibility to encourage your co-workers, not degrade them."

The man stared at her, five-o'-clock shadowed jaw slack and grey eyes wide. Floundering at Yui's side was Adachi.

"D-Dojima-san, she meant no disrespect, she w-was only-!"

The full-hearty laugh and small clap and pet on Yui's head was enough to surprise uncle and niece.

"She's got some backbone in her! You're sure he's your uncle?" The man laughed, smiling a small grin. "Alright, young lady, if your uncle can pull off his job well with me giving him some respect, then I'll keep at it, alright?" He asked. Yui nodded.

"I can agree to that."

"She has more spunk than you, Adachi," The man chuckled, before shaking Yui's hand firmly. "Detective Dojima at your service, If there's any help you need, just let me know, Miss-"

"Yui Narukami," Yui responded, smiling a touch. "Nice to meet you as well, Detective Dojima. And I will."

Dojima nodded before walking back to the other officers. "Adachi, make sure your niece gets home. It's not safe for her to go off alone at this time. You can leave for today."

"Thank you, sir," Adachi bowed respectively and then turned to his niece. "I'll get the car. Just wait right here and we can go pick up Teddie." He went off and Rise and Chie walked over.

"What was that all about?" Chie asked. Yui scratched the back of her head.

"I may or may have not almost gotten my uncle fired."

The two girls stared before Rise giggled. "I knew we were going to like you, Yui-chan."

The city girl smiled back with a lame giggle of her own, but looked back at the scene behind her. A body bag was present, being wheeled into an ambulance and talk was going about within the group housewives gathered there.

_I wonder what's going on. . .'_

* * *

The next morning stared with a book flopping at Yui's feet, the later blinking before picking up the hard-covered novel, inspecting it as an adventure selection.

"Narukami-san," Walking over to her came Naoto, looking a little worn out. "Sorry. I was so engrossed with my novel that I bumped into a person and dropped it. It must've tumbled all the way down here."

"It's alright," Yui responded, handing back the book with a smile. "Naoto-san, right? It's nice to meet you." She began to walk with the shy girl, having nothing to do since it was the end of another school day. "That's a nice-looking book you were reading. What's it about?"

"The usual; traveling to far-away places and finding new discoveries," The bluenette spoke with a tiny smile. "I haven't been able to put it down. I'm going to my grandfather's store to pick up another one."

"Oh, you mean the book store in the Shopping District?" asked Yui.

"No, he has his own shop at Junes. It's filled with his own collection that he allows people to see and take with a return policy."

"Oh, so it's like a library, then," Yui nodded, then smiled. "Mind if I tag along? I think I could use a good book to read before I go to bed." If she didn't know any better, she could see a flush of embarrassment on Naoto's cheek bones.

"I-I don't see why not-"

"Heeeeyyyyy!" Someone pounced the both of them and caught the two started girl's in an arm-lock, Rise's million-dollar smile greeting them. "Are you two leaving on a shopping day without me?' She giggled. "That is so not cool."

Naoto looked uncomfortable about the contact and Yui shrugged, also answering, "I was just going with Naoto-san to her grandfather's shop at Junes. A library of sorts."

"Hey, I've been there! Your grandfather is the shop keeper?" Rise asked Naoto, a nod in response. "He's so sweet and nice. I'll tag along with you guys. Chie's busy with her fighting syndicate anyway." No one made a comment as they walked to Junes together.

* * *

Yui could say that Junes had to be the closest thing related to city-public works. It had the basic clothing and entertainment stores and food-court any other mall would offer, but a little bigger, if that was nay constellation. _Shirogane Nook _was a comfy-looking shop that, although with a few customers, had a vast selection of literature with a convenient lounge for reading. After selecting a fantasy store and a study book, Yui walked over to the counter, smiling as the old man there greeted her politely.

The old man, Naoto's grandfather, left to the back of the store to check on stock after he helped Yui and left his granddaughter and customer to chat. Rise walked over to them with a shopping bag in hand, choosing to visit a different shop to visit and most likely avoid the old-looking store.

"Hey, isn't that where you and I were yesterday, Yui-chan?" Rise asked. Attention caught, Yui looked at the television, surprised to hear that the event was an undecided homicide or suicide of sate senator, Taro Namatame, who was caught in an affair with a local TV announcer, Mayumi Yamano. It was causing a stir in the small little town. "Sounds creepy, right? The student who found the body goes to our school, too."

"I think I'll go help my grandfather, now." Naoto abruptly walked behind the counter, biting her bottom lip. "I'm going to be busy, so . . ."

"We understand. We should get going." Rise interrupted with a smile, walking out of the book store with Yui, giving a small look. "Naoto-kun looked a little uneasy, didn't she?"

A page was turn, Yui looking up from the book she had picked and staring at Rise. "Did you say something?"

The gossiper sighed. "Never mind."

* * *

With another dinner passed at the Adachi residence, Yui bid her uncle and cousin goodnight and closed her bedroom behind her, flopping herself onto her couch and pulling out her new book. Naoto's grandfather knew his books; the foreigner couldn't bring herself to put the book down. Just as the protagonist was about to make the decision of the lifetime, her phone vibrated on the nearby table. Remembering the page number of the book, Yui walked picked up her phone and flipped it open, reading the quick text.

_From: ?-?-?_

_Sent: 11: 50 PM_

_Rise, here! Thax 4 giving me ur #. Remember 2 save mine, 'k? Oh, have u heard of that rumor that everyone in school's been talking about, like, 4-ever? Make sure 2 check ur TV in ten mins. They say you can c' the face of ur soul mate ^.^ Let's meet up tomorrow and tell each other what we saw. TTYL!_

Yui saved the number and eyed the message a few times, her mind buzzing over the possibility. It did sound interesting, seeing the face of your soul mate with the convenience of midnight and a television. Fortunately for her, Adachi had given her a small cable television to provide her a little entertainment in her room. Turning off the lights for health reasons, the silverette stood right in front of the blank screen, waiting as the seconds ticked by.

'_It sounds a little off but hey, most rumors are, right?'_

After five more seconds, midnight struck and Yui waited, the only light coming from the street lights outside her window. After a more seconds of staring and wasted breathing, Yui shook her head, standing up and stretching.

"Soul mate . . ." She shook her head, turning her back on berating herself. "I can't believe I fell for-"

The TV turned on with a sudden jolt, static snow covering the screen. Something of a heart attack struck her. Clutching her chest, Yui panted and wheezed as all of the air in her lungs suddenly began to thin, her blood running thickly to help her struggling hear and her mind swaying into vertigo. She spun a whole circle, sinking to her knees and flying her hands to her head, clutching her scalp to the point of pain and crying out as the sound of shattering glass ringed in her ears.

_I am thou. . .'_

She wheezed, eyes rolling to the back of her head as they caught the figure of someone of the television.

'_Thou art I . . .'_

It was as if her mind were a glass wall, broken by a sudden force that knocked her off her feet. Silently screaming, Yui's head broke through the television screen as if it were water, gasping as she swung her foot and bought herself outside, her body flying back.

'_You who has lost all, but regained much more . . . Revive the truth, and settle thy fate . . .'_

Her head hit the edge of the table sharply and Yui groaned, shaking her head and nearly biting her tongue. Regaining composure of her body, the transfer student sat up and stared at the black screen, shut off and taking the figure with it. Holding the dull-throbbing part of her head, Yui breathed deeply, eyes watered from the shock and emotions and thoughts flying.

"Just . . . Just why in the world did all of that . . . Feel familiar?"

* * *

"Wait, what?" At the crack three-o'-clock, Yui and her company of three walked down the slope of school, classes passing by once more. "You saw someone in the TV last night?"

"Lucky!" Rise pouted. "All I saw were weird shadows. Naoto-kun, did you see something?"

"No," Replied the shortest member of the four, once again busy reading and walking. "I apologize. I was asleep by then."

"Seriously, we're still talking about this?" Huffing, Chie stopped and jerked her head to the side. "Anyway, I gotta get going. More scouting needs to be done and the other girls are getting antsy." She waved as she walked away. "See ya!"

"She's as busy as ever with her syndicate," Sighed Rise. "And if you did see someone there, that's great. But that whole, "My head almost got stuck in the TV thing,"" She shook her head and tried to give an easy smile, "Sorry, but that's kind of hard to swallow."

"Can we change the subject?" Asked Naoto, finally looking up from her novel. "It's making me rather uneasy. How about we eat out at Junes? I'll pay."

Yui was surprised by the novel-reader's tone. She sounded afraid for some reason. Rise didn't seem to notice as she placed once arm around Naoto's shoulders. "Sounds great! C'mon guys, let's get going!"

* * *

And that's how they found themselves standing in the electronics' department of Junes, leaving a confused Yui since she was feeling up to getting an afternoon school lunch.

"Alright, let's see if you can stick your head in the TV," Rise giggled as the trio stood in front of a sixty-inch plasma. Yui shook her head, sweat awkwardly slipping down her neck.

"I don't think it will work that way."

"It's impossible nonetheless," Naoto sighed, closing her book with a bookmark and looking at the television on display. "Narukami-san, I'm sure what you experienced was probably a hallucination. It has been raining for the past few days so maybe you were ill at the time."

But the words barely crossed Yui's mind. Like the night before, an invisible limb wrapped itself around her heart and squeezed it, tugging her and making her legs walk to the television. She reached out, grazing her fingers near the screen, the crack of a whisper urging her to release her mind.

And she fell.

"Yui-chan!"

"Narukami-san!"

Whether it was Rise or Naoto who had grabbed her ankle, all three girls let out terrible screams as they fell into a deep abyss. Down and down did they fell, screaming their heads off, until they all sorely landed on ground. Yui was the first to sit up, groaning as her side ached. "A-Are you two OK?"

"I think so." Rise sighed with a little pain.

"At least we're alive," Naoto grunted, standing up and looking around. "The question is where we are. This isn't part of Junes. . ."

Yui helped Rise up and looked around, squinting as the thick fog around the three covered up almost everything. The floor below them was styled with a hypnotizing pattern, masking tape designed to look like body outlines. _'Creepy. . .' _

"I don't care where we are," Rise shivered. "I just want to know how to get out of it. I wanna go home."

"Rise-chan, please calm down, we'll figure a way-" Footsteps suddenly interrupted her, tiny scratching sounds unmistakably made by claws.

An animal, a creature of some sorts, whatever it was, was after them. And all three of them were sitting ducks.

"Run!" Yui shouted, leading the two other girls away from the area. She may had not known where they were, but something deep within the crevices of her mind told her to get them out of there. _Now_.

* * *

_**Next time on Fantum Lentis:**_

"_This room. . . Why are all the eyes torn out?!"_

"_Chie-chan and Naoto-kun have been acting strange, haven't they?"_

"_Why are you here? Are you going to play with me?"_

"_So, think you're getting use to Inuba yet?"_

'_I still can't help but feel all . . . Nostalgic . . .'_

"_Ha! What's the matter?! Aren't you going to show them who you really are? Or will you always be a big hypocrite and make them leave?!"_

"_No. . . S-Stop it! You're not me! YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE ME!"_

_"I am thou . . ._

_**Chapter Two: Veni, Vidi, Vici**_

"_Welcome, to the Velvet Room."_

* * *

_**Well, shoot. If you're reading this, then let me thank you for checking out the new story. Like I said, this is to help me get my creativity back into check and to get back into the **_**Persona **_**fandom, since god-know's how long that's been. Also, I apologize if the characters seemed OCC. That may or may have not been on purpose but hey, it's a new route in the P4 plot. Gotta expect some changes. *Shrugs* Well, please drop by a review and let me know what you think. Be kind and do tell me if you want more of this fic. I'll be trying my best to update daily. Until then, keep a sharp eye out for the next chapter! Thank you!**_

_**This is me saying, Peace!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey guys! Welcome to the second chapter of this new fanfic! Thanks so much to all of you who took a crack at the first chapter and started to follow and review it! Thank you all ^^ I'm so glad that people have taken an interest into it since I really would like this fic to take off! And since I have some free time at the moment (After so much school and lack of time. I am so sorry for that, by the way *bows*) I began to work on the next chapter as quickly as I could! Well, I won't go on any longer, so let's get this chapter rolling!**_

_**Disclaimer: **__Persona 4: The Golden __**is under all rights of Shin Megami Tensei/Atlas/Sega.**_

_**PS: Since I technically said this was chapter two of the fic last, time, it will remain as such. Please don't ask me, "Where's chapter one?" since the prologue of the fic, **__Ab Initio__**, is also chapter one.**_

* * *

_**Chapter Two: Veni, Vidi, Vici**_

No matter how blindly she ran through the fog, Yui kept shouting at Rise and Naoto to follow her, leading them with her voice as they mounted a metal staircase and scaled across a catwalk decorated with spotlights. The farther they got away from whatever was chasing them, the better.

With full speed and in one swoop, Yui yanked open the door to the room at the end of the catwalk and shut it right behind her as soon as Rise and Naoto ran in. Locking the door, the transfer student panted as she rested her back to the door, holding her hand to her chest to calm her erratic heart. "I . . . I think we're fine right now. . ."

"U-Um . . . You may want to rephrase that, Yui-ch-chan . . ."

Yui looked up, barely able to register a sound as she stood up and walked into the room, taking in the chilling site of the thousands of posters that covered the walls of the small bedroom. With careful precision and the use of a sharp tool, the eyes of the posters were torn out.

"This room . . . Why are all the eyes torn out?!" Exclaimed Rise.

"We . . . We should calm down," Naoto said after taking a long breath, though looking a little afraid herself. "There has to be . . . A-A perfectly good explanation for all this."

"Until you find one, let me know," Yu shuddered, eyeing the old green necktie dangling in the middle of the room, above an old chair. "What I'm seeing right now is making me uneasy." Her stomach flipped once and she took a breath, wiping her sweaty brow. "I . . . I don't feel so well."

"Me neither," Rise agreed, shakily breathing. "It feels like my body is going heavier and my eyes are itching." She wiped her eyes to prove her point.

"Perhaps it's because of this environment." Naoto suggested, walking the perimeter of the room before shaking her head. "In any case, we should leave this area. I don't think whatever we heard followed us here."

Nodding, Yui took the first step, opening the locked door and taking a peek outside. Peering through the thick fog, her sense ran on high alert, eyes darting everywhere to check for movement, ears straining against the dull wind that blew through. With the coast clear, she gestured her companions to follow her, the trio sticking together as they climbed down a metal staircase and arrived back at the stage.

"OK, so we're back here. How do we get home?" Asked Rise.

"There has to be some way," Yui looked around, the spotlights above them webbed through the sky, crossing like the treetops of a forest. If her eyes weren't fooling her, she could've sworn she saw a bird perched on one of the metal braces.

"Wait. . ." Something swooped, barely missing Rise and Naoto as it flittered around Yui, turbines of wind whirling around her and making her dizzy. As if the figure was multiplying, the many blurs the city girl saw trapped her into vertigo, her body falling back as she slipped into unconsciousness.

The static of an intercom startled her, Yui sitting up on a cold-tiled floor, barely able to hear the message that boomed through the area.

* * *

"_Attention shoppers, Junes will be closing in ten minutes. Once again, Junes will be closing in ten minutes. Thank you for shopping with us and we hope to see you all tomorrow!"_

"H-Huh?" At her side, Rise sat up, rubbing her head as Naoto groaned, resting on her knees and holding her head. "We're . . . We're back at Junes?" She asked. "How?"

"The last I thing I can recall. . . Was that bird," Panting, Naoto sat up, dark blue eyes dazed. "Are you two alright?" She asked. Rise nodded and Yui sighed.

"At least we're back here." She looked at the plasma she and the others fell through, leering at the black screen. "But why did we fell through? What was that room and bird we just saw?" She looked at her hand, fingers curling inward and outward of her palm. "Did I . . . Do that somehow?"

"Look, can we not talk about it please? I feel like I just ate a gallon of ice cream and went on the most wild roller-coaster ride of my life." Rise held her stomach, looking green.

"Yes. I. . . I think its best that we don't . . . Speak of what just happened," Naoto nodded once. "I suggest we all return home and have some rest. None of us look well enough." She sighed.

"Yeah." Agreed Yui, eyes still on the pitch-black screen. _'Seriously . . . What just happened?'_

* * *

The following night, Yui walked back to the Adachi home, announcing her arrival as she removed her shoes and walked into the living room, her uncle watching an old movie on the television while Teddie flipped through a manga.

"Yui, where you been?" Asked Adachi, lowering the volume. "It's pretty late. Something happen?"

"No," Yui answered automatically. "Actually, I was hanging out with some friends I made at school. I guess I lost track of the time."

"Oh," Adachi nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Well, that's great! You already made some friends and you're getting along. Good job, Yui. So, think you're getting use to Inuba yet?"

Yui shrugged. "Sort of. I'm adapting at least." To the side, she thought, _'I still can't help but feel all . . . Nostalgic. . .'_

"That's good to hear," Adachi nodded. "Hey, have you ate yet?" He stood, walking over to the fridge. "I bought some takeout a while ago and saved your meal. Want me to heat it up for you?"

"A-Actually, I thing I'm going to head to bed. I'm . . . Not feeling well." The painful buzz in the girl's head didn't stop rumbling, the walls of her skull seeming to pulse with her brain feeling as heavy as a brick.

"Are you OK, cousin?" Teddie asked, closing his graphic novel. "You look like a worn-out teddie bear. Hey, get it?! Teddie? Bear?" He laughed. "That's so funny!"

"I don't think laugher is the best medicine in this case," Adachi walked over to his niece, feeling her forehead and his own at the same time. "You don't feel warm but you do look a little worn out. Why don't you head upstairs, take a warm bath, and get ready for bed? We'll see if we can at least get some fruit in your stomach before you go off to bed, alright?"

Yui nodded with a tired smile, as if that were the best plan she ever heard in her life.

* * *

_Ice ran down her spine._

"_Yu-kun!"_

_Her body was falling, down into a dark and cold abyss. _

"_Sensei!"_

_Throat, raw and voiceless. Mind, contorted by someone else's memories._

"_Partner!"_

_Eyes as silvery-grey as her own opened, framed by a pair of black-rimmed glasses._

"_Narukami!"_

_Something grabbed her hand, a whisper from a ghost._

"_Find yourself in me. . ."_

_Glass shattered and a butterfly fluttered at her eyelids, the gentle wind from its wings stirring her from sleep._

* * *

Her eyes opened, everything from the dream tumbling into Yui's body and leaving her with a cold shiver. Sitting up on her futon, she realized it was Saturday, the sun already near early noon and the smell of coffee still lingering in the air. Pulling off her sheets and remaking her futon, the young girl cleared her head with the sounds of children playing outside her window, laughing as they were playing some sort of sport.

"Guess it . . . Was just another weird dream." She sighed. She walked to her television, fingers grazing the screen's surface before pulling back, shaking her head. "I'm getting too worked up." She gathered the clothes she left herself last night and went to the bathroom, shower and changing before padding down the steps, her hair damp and curling.

Teddie was toying around with an old gaming console, smiling as Yui walked in and grabbed a box of cereal from the counter. "Morning, Yui! Feeling better?"

"Yeah," His cousin fixed herself a bowl of cereal, taking a seat by the island. "Much better." She took her first spoonful, her stomach able to take it without knotting. "Teddie, where's uncle?"

"Work," Huffed the blonde as his fingers jabbed at the controller. "The media's swarming the girl who found the body hanging from the TV antenna, so he's helping Dojima take care of them. I think it's in some book shop in Junes."

Yui nearly chocked on her next bite, beating her chest before spatting into a napkin. "Y-You mean _Shirogane Nook_?!"

Teddie nodded, pausing just as his character was about to perform his special attack.

"Yeah, why-" The slamming of a front door left his mouth agape. "C-Cousin?!"

* * *

Faster than any force she possibly knew, Yui ran past the sliding doors of Junes and to the second door, hastily apologizing to shoppers she almost ran into before spotting the book store, police and people crowding the small store. Naoto was in the front with her grandfather, a crossed look on the kind gentleman's face.

"If you are here for reading or barrowing, please, do come in. But if anyone keeps badgering my granddaughter like this, then I will have to ask you to leave." He glared as a mic was almost shoved into his face, leading Naoto back inside and calling over his shoulder. "My shop is closed for this weekend. Please, leave." He firmly closed the glass planes, complains firing from the crowds as police men tried to sort them out.

"Yui-chan!" Rise and Chie ran over to the pondering transfer student, the redhead looking at the book shop. "We just heard that Naoto-kun was the one who found the body. Guess the crowd in front of the store can prove it, right?" She asked.

"Looks like it," Huffed Chie, shaking her head. "I swear, the whole town is buzzing about it. You wouldn't believe what they've been saying, especially people from our school."

"What do you mean?" Asked Yui. Chie groaned.

"Ugh, it's been crap the girls have been spreading. They're saying that Naoto's using this to get herself attention because she doesn't talk much. I don't know her that well myself but Naoto doesn't seem like the type of person to do that," The brunette sighed. "I dunno. I just hope things clear out soon. I'd hate for something like that happen to me, so it must be hard on Naoto, too."

"Me, too." Rise agreed. Yui thought the same, eyes drifting back to the crowd as they began to clear away. "Um, hey, you girls wanna head to the Shopping District? I heard there's this great deal on romance charms at the shrine that I must see!"

"Pass," Chie shook her head. "I actually have to get going. My mom said I could only go out this morning and I have to be back by my house by noon to help with chores," She waved as she jogged over to the escalator. "See you guys on Monday!"

"Bye!" Rise waved back, sighing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So much has been happening so far, but beside the murder, I think the weirdest part has been with Naoto-kun and Chie-chan," She leaned on her hip, tilting her head. "Chie-chan and Naoto-kun have been acting starnge, haven't they? I mean, I know why with Naoto-kun, but Chie-chan's been a bit more distant. Do you think she's mad at me?"

"Why would she be?" Asked Yui. Rise shook her head.

"I don't know. It's just a weird feeling, I guess." She shrugged. "Hey, Yui-chan? I think I'm just going to head home. I'm still a little tired from . . . Yesterday. Oh, I didn't ask if you were fine! My bad!" She exclaimed. Yui gave a small smile, showing her gratitude.

"It's fine, Rise-san. And I'm alright. I had a little headache when I got home but I felt better when I got some sleep. Though, I still feel a little tired," She rubbed at one of her eyes, the stale fog from her dream still making her eyes dry. "I think I'm going to walk around for a while before heading home for more rest. I'll see you Monday?"

Rise nodded. "Yeah. See ya!" She was off a second later, Yui left alone.

Now by herself, the silverette walked in the direction of _Shirogane Nook_, staring at it and wondering if Naoto was alright. Did the smallest of their trio experienced odd sickness after she returned? Concern flooded into Yui and she bit her lip, shaking her head as she spun on her toe, taking the escalator to the second floor. _'It's not the right time to bother her about this. Naoto's already had enough harassment for one day.' _Still, an irksome tick was set off into the private school student. And with great curiosity, she found herself in the electronics' department once more.

"_Every day's great at your Junes~" _played with a catchy tune, Yui's foot tapping as the peppy beat played. Pulling out her cellphone, she recorded the jingle for the point of the moment and walked over to the large, flat-screen in the middle, eyes glazing as she remembered the foggy world that was only a step away. If she could squeeze herself through there again without anyone looking, maybe she could explore it more. A part of herself said she was crazy to go in there again. It could be suicide. But that voice from her dream days ago rammed back into her memories.

"_**Do YoU wIsH tO lEaRn ThE tRuTh?"**_

Perhaps the truth the figure hid was in that world. Whatever thread of fate was spinning itself around her, it pulled Yui closer to the television, her hand catching the ripples of the screen.

"Narukami-san, don't!" Another force rammed into her, the girl screaming as she and the force fell into the portal, hypnotizing patterns greeting her before she landed on the ground heavily once more, the landing just as hard as the last time. Rolling to her side, Yui groaned, shaking her head and staring at Naoto.

"N-Naoto-san, why'd you do that?" She rubbed her hip, cursing as the pain felt like needles trying to pierce through her pelvis.

"I-I was trying to stop you." Naoto muttered, fixing the newspaper boy's cap on her head and standing up, offering Yui a hand and pulling the taller girl to her feet. "Well, it looks like we found ourselves here again. How we're going to get out of here this time is the main question."

"Maybe we can try to find that bird we saw. I don't know but somehow, it was able to get us back home," Yui looked around, pushing up on her toes to get a better sight, only to find herself as lost and confused as a newborn animal to the world. "But this fog is so thick, I can barely see a thing. I'm not sure how we're going to be able to-" She turned, a black beak nearly poking her eye out. ". . . Found it."

Naoto took a step back, so Yui followed the example, only adding a jump to her movement. The bird from the day before them flew in place, bright, paper-like wings flapping and leaving a crinkling noise as yellow and pink feathers fluttered, black, button-like eyes staring at the two perplexed and down-right shocked girls, a white bow tied at its back, the sash around its neck.

"Why are you here? Are you going to play with me?"

Yui didn't know which to be more afraid of; the fact that the bird could talk, or the fact that it could talk without moving its beak.

"Just . . . Just what are you?" Asked Naoto with wide eyes.

"Hmm," The bird hummed, flying to one of the metal pillars of the studio and perching there. "I guess I'm a bird? You have those back where you live, right? With feathers and beaks like mine? Um, so yeah, I think I'm a bird." The winged-creature replied, fixing it's feather's with it's talons.

"Hey, were you the think following us yesterday?" Asked Yui, walking over to the bird.

"Yesterday? . . . Oh! It was you guys who were making all that noise! No wonder Shadows were out more than usual!" As if possible, the bird looked sad, pink wings drooping. "The shadows have been acting more hostile than usual. It's as if they're getting ready for something. . . . But I don't know what it is."

"Shadows?" Through the winds came nasty whispers, harshly replying Yui's answer.

"Ah!" The bird flapped in fright, feathers flying everywhere. "Th-They close! And they're getting really angry!"

"_Honestly, it's like all of a sudden, she thinks she's "Little-Miss-Somebody."_

"_Yeah, just because she discovered the dead body, Shirogane thinks she's all that now."_

"_Pathetic, right?!"_

"Huh?" Yui looked around, surprised to hear the rumors coming from nowhere. "Why are they talking to you like that, Naoto-san? . . . Naoto-san?" The silverette looked behind her, gasping as Naoto was nowhere in sight. "N-Naoto-san?!"

"Over here!" The bird flew over to one of the paths, something clacking against the floor. "Oh! And you'll need these! Trust me."

Yui walked over with hesitation, picking up a pair of black-framed glasses from the floor. She slowly slid them to place and took a breath, the fog no longer there. _'Do these glasses. . . Allow me to see through the fog? How strange.'_

"Come on! This way! This way!" The bird shouted, flying down the path. Nodding, Yui followed after the pink blur, racing into a wrecked corridor. Green and yellow tiles were broken and shelves and tables were toppled over, books by the hundreds scattered all over the place. It was then by the window, Yui saw, that the blurring letters of "Junes" glowed in neon lights.

"Hold on," The transfer student stepped forward, treading on a copy of _Sherlock Holmes_. "This places almost looks a lot like. . . Naoto-san's grandfather's store . . ."

"_Well, it's not like she's been popular before, right?"_

The insults came again. Yui winced, the words cracked and painful, like rocks stuffed into a person's mouth, and it made her almost feel hollow inside. With the odd bird flying overhead, she walked over to an open area that was covered in a thick red rug. It resembled an old-time living room, a hearth roaring nearby with book shelves bordering around the rug, hard-covered soldiers standing at attention.

Naoto stood in the middle of the room, listless blue eyes staring into the orange tongue licking at the fog in the fire.

_Right?! You could almost feel sorry for her! She spends all her time with those books of hers and never goes out to hang out with people. She's like an old hermit, it's really creepy!"_

"_Yeah! She's nothing but a lonely, pathetic freak!"_

"_**Oh, I'M the freak?! Ha! They should take a better look at themselves!" **_The flames of the fireplace suddenly shot to the ceiling, Naoto gasping as she was knocked back by the heat of the fire, a typhoon spinning right in front of her. As the flames disappeared, an exact duplicate of herself glowered at her, everything from the small stature to the newsboy cap matching perfectly. _**"So, I choose not to flaunt myself? To stay away from others? Well, that's fine by me! Who needs friends? Not me. I'm perfectly fine with my books!"**_

"Who. . . Are you?" Naoto asked uneasily, a glint of fright crossing her usually neutral features.

"_**That's complete idiotic," **_The copy-cat scoffed. _**"I'm you, obviously. A shadow who you always hid away from the world. The lonely personb who was always left behind to read her books." **_The double's face twisted in a fake sob, crocodile tears running down its cheeks. _**"Oh, boo-hoo! Don't leave me alone! Don't let me be lonely! I just want one friend! Any will do! Just don't leave me alone!"**_

"That's. . . That's not me at all!" Naoto shouted. "Stop this right now! You're behaving like a child!"

"_**Whaaa! I am like a child! I do want attention! I just want someone to look at me and understand me. I don't wanna be lonely anymore! Whaaa!"**_

"I said stop it, _right now_!" Naoto nearly screamed, eyes wide in shock and denial.

"The shadows!" The bird perched on Yui's shoulder, talon's digging into the fabric of Yui's blouse. "They're becoming more aggravated! This is not good! Not good at all!"

Yui couldn't agree more. All around them, the book shelves begin to topple over, almost sending earthquake-like vibrations across the floor, pieces of the ceiling falling from the top and logs of fire threatening to pop from the hearth. Naoto's shadow laughed, looking behind its host to see the other girl and the bird.

"_**Ha! What's the matter?" **_It's crackled, tears drying from its cheeks by the heat of the fire, it's gold-yellow eyes filled sinisterly. **Aren't you going to show them who you really are? Or will you always be a big hypocrite and make them leave?!"**

Yui could hear _it _in her mind. It was the shudder of a strained breath, before it became a whisper, a crack bouncing off the inner walls of her mind. _'W-What? This again . . .?"_

"No. . . S-Stop it!" With a scream, Naoto shut her eyes at her shadow and yelled. "You're not me! YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE ME!"

Yui held her head as the shadow crackled wildly, a black aura surrounding it.

"_**Correct! I am no longer you! For now, I AM MY OWN SELF!"**_

Both girls hurdled backward as the black smog around the shadow let out in a burst, the duplicate before them shifting from a black mass and into a painted mannequin of Naoto, paint and odd fabric peeled off with flashy metal upon it, skirt torn around its knees with a dirty and bloody lab coat over its shoulders, it's eyes and hair wild and animal-like.

"_**I aM a ShAdOw. . . ThE tRuE sElF. . . yOu'Ve IgNoReD mE fOr FaR tOo LoNg. . . NoW. . ." **_It raised one hand, fallen books flying into the fire and floating in the air. _**"tHeRe CaN oNlY bE oNe Of Us. . . AnD It ShAlL oNlY bE mE!" **_The shadow threw a flurry of fire orbs to the remaining book shelves, wood and books avalanching over Naoto as she shouted, trapped under the mass.

"Naoto-san!" Yui shouted, gasping as the shadow eyed her, one hand ready to throw a fireball at the pile of debris while another aimed at her, the rest of the fireballs aimed and ready.

"_**I sEe No NeEd FoR aNoThEr UsElEsS bEiNg. . ."**_

It was at that moment, in the split second of where fear had gripped her heart and erased every thought from her head, Yui heard the voice again. It was shouting at her, calling out a wild battle-cry. The glass blockading her inner-most mind was split in a powerful shattering, a warm breath stirred from her lungs.

"_I am thou. . ."_

Her limbs went numb, taken over by another as a blue tarot card materialized into her palm.

"_Thou art I. . ."_

A gypsy's blue circle whirled around her feet, complicated patterns drawn under her as blue lights appeared from the circle, opening the gate to Yui's soul.

"_I, who opens the gates of thousands. . . Who bestows the world its gifts of land, water, and life. . . I am the Mother of the Gods. . . I am you . . ."_

Yui cried out as her body lifted into the air, the tails of blue striking into her and wrapping themselves around her heart. Her eyes flew open, a sky-blue hue glazing over her silver irises and another breath escaping her. The surge of power gathered into the very recesses of her soul, her feet landing delicately on the ground as she let out the power in one, signal call.

"_Persona_!" The card in her hand ripped apart, a young woman appearing out of it. Her body, bandaged around her bare torso, wrists, and legs, was dressed in a black duster with a pale-peach chiton under, the skirt flared from battle and fire. Slipped around her waist was a sash made of chains, a long bladed katana sheathed at her hip. Her face was wrapped in a thick gauze, thunderous red eyes glaring out, hair as dark and glassy as a raven's wing flowing down her back. "_Izanami_!"

"_**WhAt?! WhAt Is ThIs SoRt oF sTrEnGtH?!"**_ Shouted the shadow, growling and firing it's next tirade of fireballs. Whipping out the sword, Izanami blocked the attack with her blade and dashed forward, swinging her sword and slashing at the mannequin. The shadow screamed as the cut made static pop from it, growling and trying to strangle the goddess head on.

"_Zio_!" Yui jumped as the next shout came out of her, almost sounding just right when it rolled off her tongue. The bandaged heroine before her suddenly struck her katana into the earth, a bolt of lightning striking the shadow and knocking it off its feet. The natural instinct flowed into the foreigner again, her hand swiping at the shadow just as Izanami did the same with her sword, slicing through the shadow's body as it screeched and turned black, dropping to the floor with a heavy thump.

Yui breathed again, panting as Izanami kneeled before her, red eyes searching. Yui stared back at them, wondering what this mythical being was thinking now. Was she judging her? Or checking if she was alright? Yui nodded once, as if to say she was fine. It seemed that the black-haired goddess took that as the OK as she stood up and disappeared in a light of purple, transforming into a tarot card and vanishing.

Yui ran over to the fallen bookshelves and pulled them all off, Naoto, helping the meek girl up as the latter's legs must've felt like lead.

"Are you OK?"

"I-I believe so," Naoto nodded, casting her eyes to her duplicate as it stood. It didn't look as if it were going to attack again. But when Naoto saw its eyes, she could see someone else in them. It was girl, looking alone and scared. It was her own reflection. "That . . . Is me?"

"Yeah," Said the bird, resting on one of the nearby bookshelves. "From what I know, shadows are made the other "yous." They're who you don't want the rest of the world to see, so you hide them away. Shadows get really angry if their host don't show them to the world. They get really crazy and attack anything," The avian sighed, feather's drooping. "If you don't accept it for who it is, it'll just attack again."

"I. . ." Naoto sighed, shaking her head. "How can I-"

"You need to be brave, Naoto-san," Blue eyes blinked at a bright onyx pair. "It may seem scary but sometimes, we all have to try to be brave. We all have to try to break out of our shells sometimes," Yui smiled. "If we always kept our books in fantasy and black-and-white words, we wouldn't be able to see the wonderful things reality has to offer."

"Narukami-san. . ." Naoto stood a little more easily on her feet, shaking her head when Yui offered her shoulder again. With an uneasy step, the bookworm walked to her shadow, staring back at it's sad gold eyes. "It's hard to imagine myself saying this but. . . Yes. You are me . . . And I am you. You are the one I kept locked away, the person who was afraid of a new world and who had only the choice to escape into books. But because of that, it was as if I gave up on learning the new world. I became an outcast and found myself. . . Lonely. But not anymore. I see that now, I have to show "you" to the new world. The real me."

A small smile appeared on the shadow's lips, a sigh escaping them as a purple light engulfed it. In the place of the shadow was a necromancer with long dark larges and smoky-yellow eyes. Wrapped upon its shoulder was a long red trench coat, its hands and feet made mechanically with iron-made mask on its face.

"_I art thou. . . And thou art I. I, who leads my students into the finest arts of the world, placing knowledge and self-strive above all else. I am the Scholar of the Silent. I am you . . ."_

Just like Izanami, the being transformed into a tarot card and disappeared in an instant.

"Honestly," Naoto shook her head. "What has just . . . Happened here? Something like this cannot be possible," She looked at the bird. "You have much to explain to us."

The bird shrugged. "I guess so."

* * *

"So what you're saying is . . . You don't know how this place came to be?" Asked Yui, she and Naoto gathered around the bird as the three of them returned to the studio area, a pair of blue glasses in front of the second teen's eyes.

"This place has always been here," The bird cleaned at its feathers, the lights almost reflecting the bright color of pink. "So have the shadows and so have I. The fog, too. It's really weird how that effects this place, too." It said this as it gazed at the vast yet dense land, not a sight nor soul to be seen. "With the fog here, shadows don't angry as much. But every so often, it clears and that's when they get really mad. Just a while ago, it attacked some person, leaving some weird looking thing."

"Thing?" Asked Naoto. The bird hopped off it's spot and retrives a small and white flat item, dropping it into the younger student's hand. She gasped.

"What is it?" Asked Yui, looking over her shoulder and reading the black bold letters: **TARO NAMATAME**. "Huh? What? This . . . Hardly makes any. . . I don't . . ."

"Narukami-san," Naoto looked at the nametag in her palm. "It may be just my assumption but. . . Before I found Taro Nametame's body, it was raining that whole time and he had gone missing during then. But on the day a fog came, the exact day before his body was found, there was fog. Narukami-san. . . Doesn't this all mix in somehow?"

Yui thought up all the facts Naoto pointed out. A big picture was drawing itself out, the disappearance and death of the city council secretary all drawing together. And with this world of fog and these sudden being called shadows attacking anything on a non-foggy day, all of it could not have been a coincidence. But then what were these "persona," beings, like Izanami? Why did she appear and help Yui against the Naoto's shadow? Once again, more answers left more questions.

"We may have to look into this further," Naoto said, crossing her arms. "It seems incredibly unreal but now that I see it with my own eyes, I know what's going on now. This homicidal case has now turned into an unsolved case. Narukami-san, I think that now we know of this and possess what you called earlier, "persona," we may be the only ones who will be able to solve this."

Solve this. The way Naoto had placed it, the whole thing seemed like a child's game of detective. And she was right before, almost all of it seemed too unreal to be believable.

"W-Wait? You guys are really going to do it?" The bird flapped its wings excitedly. "Y-You'll really see what's going on? You will?!"

"Narukami-san?"

Yui wondered why all the decisions were made by her all of a sudden as the two looked at her. It was crazy, delusional, but most of all, highly-dangerous.

"Alright." Came the blunt reply.

The bird sprang into the air with an excited caw, whirling around the girls happily. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"But until we can do any work on this, both I and Narukami-san need some rest." Said Naoto.

"You have a point," Yui agreed, rolling her sore shoulders, now notcing that she actually felt tired over the whole thing. "Oh, we forgot to introduve ourselves. I'm Yuina Narukami, but call me Yui. And this is Naoto Shirogane. What's your name?"

"I don't have one," The bird answered. "All I have on me is this thing. It has some funny drawings on it." Curious, Yui walked over to the bird and peered at its bow, indicating that, that was what it was refereeing to, and read the black kanji letters there. "It says . . . Nanako. Is that your name?"

"Is it?" Asked the bird, tilting its head. "Maybe. Well, then that's my name! I'm Nanako! It's nice to meet the both of you!" It tweeted.

"You too, Nanako-chan," Naoto returned the greeting. "Now then, I would like to ask you to return us back to where we came from, like you did before."

"You guys are coming back, right? Asked Nanako, worry in its eyes. Yui petted its head, smiling kindly.

"We promise. We'll be back as soon as we can." She swore. Cooing at the petting, Nanako nodded and flew into the air, once again whipping and whirling around the two girls. Faster and faster it flew, causing the girls to spin off their own feet as they almost bounced into the sky, a wave of a dizzy spell passing them as white blinded their eyes.

* * *

After returning to Junes, Yui and Naoto scheduled that they would meet at _Shirogane Nook _after the both of them rested up, promising not to enter the television world during the time. Walking out of Junes, Yui checked her pocket and jangled the few yen coins in her pocket. After her experience today, a fruit juice and a bottle of aspirin wouldn't hurt her.

Traveling to the liquor store in the Shopping District and purchasing her items, she was about to take the South route home when she noticed a door. On this street, it seemed pretty odd why this door, painted blue with purple accents, was there all of a sudden, since it wasn't there the first time Yui visited the district. What was even odder was that a young man stood there, a head shorter than Teddie and looking younger than that.

Dressed head to toe in a dark blue tuxedo with a black tie, his light blonde hair was untidily kept under a chauffeur hand, a gold pin with a 'V' pinned on his tie. The boy looked to the side, giving Yui an odd stare with the bags she carried. Yui stared back, noticing that the boy's tuxedo sleeves and slacks were two big on him. It almost made him adorable.

He pointed at her, directly with his wide and owl-like golden eyes. Yui looked left and right, before pointing at herself. The boy nodded once and opened the odd door, giving an expectant look.

'_Well . . . My day's already been crazy so why not add some more crazy?' _She wondered, walking over and nodding in thanks to the little boy as she stepped inside, the door closing behind her.

* * *

And just like that, Yui found herself sitting on the leather exterior of a limousine. Everywhere she looked, she saw nothing but blue velvet. Outside the windows, the limo appeared to be moving along a road experiencing a heavy storm, droplets running down the glass and chasing each other to former fatter and quicker droplets.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room," Yui peered over at the old and gangly man sitting across from her. His long and large nose and wide eyes reminded her of the garden gnomes Adachi's neighbors kept on their small garden. They were both odd and terrifying to Yui when she first saw him. This man had the same effect. "My name is Igor, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He said, his voice raspy with uncharacteristic glee. It gave Yui the feeling as if he hadn't seen her in a long time. Strange, since they had never met before.

"What am I. . . Doing here?" She asked, taking a seat back.

"Master Yuina, I believe you already know why you are here," Said Igor with mischievous laughter in his voice, his long and twig-like hands shuffling a deck of tarot cards and laying them across the table before him, flipping them to the pictures and displaying the Major Arcana. "You have just awakened to your power. We call it persona."

"Persona?" Yui question, wincing as something in her memories tried to force its way into her, as if trying to make her remember what "persona" was. But how could she remember something she had no idea about?

"A persona is the power you use, the inner-strength within in you, that defeats the obstacles of your path," Igor explained. "And right now, the largest obstacle is that of a catastrophe that could bring the end of your world and another. Master Yuina, the path before you now has been forged for a very long time. It awaits you to take its route and stop the catastrophe in the length of one year. If you fail to defeat what it is to come, all you have come to know will cease to exist."

Yui's eyes widened a fraction. "Wait, so you mean . . . If I don't stop what's going to happen in a year, then that could mean. . . Something like an apocalypse?"

"Far worse, but for now, we shall say it is apocalyptic," The old man nodded. "That is, unless you are willing to sign a contract that will help you on this path, enabling you more to the power of your persona than you already know."

The schoolgirl's mouth opened and closed a few times, her mind reeling for what seemed like a lifetime. Finally, her eyes opened (she had no idea when she had closed them) and she nodded. "Alright. I'll sign this contract."

Igor grinned (if that was humanly possible) wide and unrolled a piece of parchment from thin air, laying it before Yui. Though all the words were written in what Yui thought was old Latin, she signed her signature on the line before it disappeared in a gust of glitter.

"Now then, shall I explain your ability further?"

"Sure."

"Well then, there is no other person better to explain it than my assistant." Next to Igor, the boy Yui saw before and an older gentleman appeared. The older was board-shouldered and dressed in a similar outfit like the younger, only it fit him properly. His blonde hair was brushed back and his bangs ran over his golden eyes, covering them.

"Good day, Master Yuina," The older man greeted, transparent as if he were a hologram. "My name is Kalvin. But please, call me Kal. I shall provide my service to you as your driver and item recourses," Kal patted his white-gloved hand onto the little boy's shoulder. "This is my younger brother, Spencer. He shall be your door boy and will look over the Persona Compendium for you. Say hello, Spencer."

Spencer only nodded at Yui like he did the first time, looking the other way the second the guest tried to wave at him. "He's a tad shy. Please don't take it to heart, Master Yui," Kal smiled as he folded his hand on his lap. "As stated by my master, your ability is that of the Wild Card. It enables you to form multiple bonds with people, or "Social Links" as we call them. Not only are you able to form bonds and grow your Social Links with different people, you will also be able to use other persona of the Major Arcana. With the help of my master, you will be able to gain other persona by fusing several others together, many of those found after battles. Please, take this into consideration."

Igor cleared his throat once.

"Oh, yes," Kal nodded, gesturing to the other side of his master. "I nearly forgot to introduce our latest guest to the room. He will be helping you with your journey as well."

A dry "hmph" caught the new master's attention, and she looked to the side to meet unfriendly blue eyes.

It was the boy from the train station. Only he looked a little different. His white shirt had a few of the buttons undone and one of the pants legs of his red jeans were torn at the knee, a black-and-white stripe pattern sewn and replacing the missing piece. His black combat boots looked thick and heavy as he rested them on the table, a matching black tie clipped with a lock lazily around his neck.

His dark blue eyes glared at Yui under the brim of his blue cap, a golden pin similar to Kal and Spencer's attached to the side.

Now it was Kal's turn to clear his throat. "Marcel?"

The boy, Marcel, dragged in a sigh, throwing his wrist in a dull wave. "Hey."

"Um. . . Haven't we met before?" Asked Yui genuinely. The boy did seem familiar and yet. . . He wasn't. It really nicked at Yui's brain, as if Marcel was someone she really had to remember.

Marcel shrugged. "I dunno, maybe?" He rolled his eyes to Kal. "Are we done here?"

"First, tell her how you can help her on her journey." Kal responded.

"Fine, fine," Marcel sat up, eyes dragging around as he tried to explain. "Look, kid, I can, like . . . Let's say if you find some weird-looking cards after you fight. They look like Arcana but they have different pictures on them. It can take you a while to find them so come talk to me if you find one. They're called skill cards," His face suddenly turned bright red, a glower taking over his face. "T-That doesn't mean you can come around here and talk lame stuff with me, like what you do with your dorky friends or whatever! Stupidlamesocialbutterflyweirdo, I don't wanna be friends!" He snapped.

". . . Dully noted." Yui nodded, only earning another hard look from the red-faced boy. He sure had some anger problems.

"And with that, this is where we must part for now, Master Yui," Said Igor, four pairs of eyes locking onto the new guest of the Velvet Room, some friendly and some (if not one) brooding. "When you are in need of any of us, simply use the velvet key (At this point, a blue key card flashed into Yui's pocket, but at this point of the chaotic day, she didn't seem to mind) on this precise door and we will be glad to assist in any way possible. Please keep in mind that you must now be careful on your daily decisions, for one could possibly lead to your certain end, whether in battle or your everyday life. When next we meet, you will come here of your own will," He chuckled. "I look forward to it," With the simple loop of his hand, he nodded. "Until then, farewell."

* * *

Yui felt herself pulled out of the Velvet Room, landing on her feet, upon the sidewalk of the Shopping District. Time had barely passed and people passing by didn't seem to notice Yui suddenly appearing, nor the door hued in blue glowing behind her. Yui looked back at the door and tilted her head.

"Looks like living her in the countryside is going to be more exciting than I gave it credit for."

* * *

_**Next time on Fantum Lentis:**_

"_We may have found ourselves more into this case than we realized, Narukami-san."_

'_I guess it wouldn't hurt to try out some jobs here. Hey, maybe I'll get to know about this town a little more."_

"_Why are you two suddenly arrested?!"_

"_Chie-san is missing?"_

"_None of you guys get it at all! She's my friend!" _

_**Chapter Three: Exitus acta Probat**_

"_A . . . Another persona?!"_

* * *

_**Once again, shoot. If you're reading this, then you still had faith in me to update this story. And for that, I am grateful to you kind readers ^^ I know it's been a long wait since I hadn't been updating but I promise more regular updates since I will be updating stories around the weekends now, since that is the only time I ever have on my laptop. Well, anyway, please make sure to drop a review and let me know what you think. Did you spot the differences in the story from the original plot? What did you think? Thanks to our new readers who joined us on the followed list and I hope you guys can prepare yourselves for the next chapter. See ya guys next time!**_

_**This is me saying, Peace! **_


End file.
